Show Off Your Mauser C96 "Broomhandle"

CptCurl · Feb 21, 2020

It's a gorgeous sunny winter day here, and I thought I might stir up something.

So let's have a thread on the Mauser C96 "Broomhandle."

Here's mine:

Mine is an early post-WW1 commercial "Bolo". It remains in excellent condition, showing very little use. It has a perfect bore and all matching parts, including the stocks.

I felt I was quite lucky to find a couple of original Mauser stripper clips to go with it.

So everybody: let's pull them out, snap a few photos, and show them off! They are very strange creatures left over from the late 19th Century.

Curl

Echo40 · Feb 21, 2020

I doubt that you'll be getting a lot of responses from folks who actually own one themselves, especially in anywhere near as good condition as yours, much less with all matching serial numbers, as they're somewhat scarce and prohibitively expensive nowadays. (Although I'm sure that folks with lots of disposable income will be along shortly to tell me that a mint condition C96 with all-matching serial numbers can easily be had for the low price of $2,500 which one could easily find between the cushions of their couch.)

surfgun · Feb 21, 2020

Here is mine.

mckenney99 · Feb 21, 2020

I have absolutely no use for one, especially at my age. But I've always wanted one and you are not helping.

MCorps0311 · Feb 21, 2020

I don't own one but I sure like yours!

JH1951 · Feb 21, 2020

I have been trying to fight the urge to get a nice one. This thread is not helping at all.

schutzen-jager · Feb 21, 2020

my bolo

older -well used - Chinese import

Ivan the Butcher · Feb 21, 2020

Mine is one of the Chinese imports reblued over small pits! I bought it in the mid 90's for about $400. The barrel has at least one groove of refiling all the way down the barrel, just not the same grove. The junk/bamboo wood shoulder stock/holster fits pretty loose. In spite of all that is wrong, I got 4" groups (8shot) @ 100 yards with ChiCom ammo!

I have some of the Chinese ammo, which is pretty mild. I made 200 7.62x25 brass for it even though many said it wouldn't work, the extractor groove was wrong, blah, blah, blah. 1) FL size military brass in 223 die, 2) remove primer crimp, 3) FL size (No lube necessary this time) in 7.62x25 die with decapping rod removed, 4a)Trim to length 4b) ream inside of neck to .308. I use a Forrester case trimmer (with drill attachment) with .308 ream as the pilot and took most of the excess neck off with a band saw, but that isn't a necessity, just quicker! It took about 1 hour to make 200 reloadable brass. WSP primer, WW231 powder & 87 cast RN bullet = good cheap ammo!

Several old gun guys had a "Show and Tell" lunch at my F-I-L's one Sunday, I was the young & dumb kid at 62. They had Flint locks of great historical significance and value, or proto-type cartridge rifles from many countries. I stole the show with a "Beater" C-96 and all the ammo they wanted to shoot!

I haven't found any 8 round strippers I was willing to pay the asking price for! I use the M-16 10 round strip clips with only 8 rounds in them, they have worked just fine. When the tabs break off or get lost, it really is no big deal!

Ivan

Kurusu · Feb 21, 2020

Only have 2. One made in 1910, the other in 1911. That's the split year for 6 rifle grooves instead of 4.

Edit. They are both all matching. But the one from 1910 has almost no rifling left.

4T5GUY · Feb 21, 2020

Mines a Fed Ord re-work I got back in the late ‘80’s.

It’s good enough for me still and I’m not worried about shooting it. It was only $580.00 back then and probably worth that still.

I’ve got a great load that works in it and the CZ52. The CZ was $89.00 about the same time. (Most of the MilSurp was $89.00 back then.) It was a very good time to have an FFL.

Jim

PALADIN85020 · Feb 21, 2020

I have this one; my best estimate on date of manufacture is 1914. This particular gun was illustrated in a chapter on the Mauser C96 in my book 101 Classic Firearms. It's a pre-war commercial variation in 7.63x25mm Mauser.

John

forindooruseonly · Feb 21, 2020

Hmm. I'll dig out my Red 9 and take it to the range tomorrow. I'll take some photos while there. The only question is whether I can find what I did with the stripper clips or not...

Kurusu · Feb 21, 2020

forindooruseonly said:
Hmm. I'll dig out my Red 9 and take it to the range tomorrow. I'll take some photos while there. The only question is whether I can find what I did with the stripper clips or not...

The stripper clips are not really necessary. I seldom use them to load the magazine. Got this technique of holding the pistol with my right hand keping the bolt from closing with my index and thumb and shove the ammo down the magazine one by one with my left hand, it's quite easy once you get the hang of it.

Walter Rego · Feb 21, 2020

Here is my 1930 Commercial. I do shoot it occasionally with the PPU ammo. It is loads of fun. I have a bunch of the stripper clips. They are steel with nitre blued springs and are not Mauser marked. Not sure what they were actually for originally but the were only a few bucks each at a gun show and work just fine.

H Richard · Feb 21, 2020

In 1960 while stationed in England, I bought one from a Sargent who just shipped in, for $45. It had no finish left on it, but was functional, it had the wooden holster/rifle stock. Then I discovered it was unlawful for a civilian to possess a handgun in England without a special permit, and permits were very difficult to get especially for a non-citizen of England. I was single and living in the barracks, so hiding it was difficult. I had an offer to sell it to someone shipping back to the U S and could put it in his trunk. I sold it for $55.

Fast forward to about 1969, I was browsing a gun show, and see one just like that one, but with about 50% finish, and priced at $1400. That's when I decided I needed books on gun values if I was going to buy and sell any more firearms.

turnerriver · Feb 21, 2020

Two World War bring backs-the one on the left came home with my wife’s grandfather after WW I and my father brought the other one back from occupied Japan after WW II.
Regards,
turnerriver

GypsmJim · Feb 21, 2020

Mine is a Mauser manufacture. It'matched except for the barrel. The SN dates it to ~1925. I believe it was later converted to 9mm, thus the grips are not original. It is not import marked.

rednichols · Feb 21, 2020

Dirty Harry Callahan said:
I doubt that you'll be getting a lot of responses from folks who actually own one themselves, especially in anywhere near as good condition as yours, much less with all matching serial numbers, as they're somewhat scarce and prohibitively expensive nowadays. (Although I'm sure that folks with lots of disposable income will be along shortly to tell me that a mint condition C96 with all-matching serial numbers can easily be had for the low price of $2,500 which one could easily find between the cushions of their couch.)

Forum members have graciously helped me in the past with their C96 images and information so I knew they would be able to step up here, too

.

storyman · Feb 21, 2020

Here's mine. I know little about it. It has an obvious reblue and non original grips. It does have matching numbers, functions well, a perfect bore and I have the original grips.

tndrfttom · Feb 21, 2020

Here's a Prewar Commercial and a "Red 9". Both have matching numbers and good but far from perfect bores. The finish makes them sort of 'shooter grade' which is what I wanted.

Show Off Your Mauser C96 "Broomhandle"

SWCA Member

Member

Member

Attachments

Member

US Veteran

US Veteran

Member

Attachments

Member

Absent Comrade

Attachments

Member

Attachments

US Veteran

Member

Absent Comrade

Member

Attachments

US Veteran

Moderator

Member

Attachments

Member

Member

Attachments

Member

Attachments

Similar threads